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BMW iX3 Is First Five‑Star Winner Under Euro NCAP and ANCAP’s Tougher 2026 Standards

The result confirms the new four-stage regime judges crash prevention, occupant protection, post-crash response and driver‑machine ergonomics and is likely to force hardware and software design changes by manufacturers.

Overview

  • Euro NCAP and ANCAP put the BMW iX3 through their revised 2026 testing and the SUV became the first model to earn a five‑star rating under the new criteria.
  • The iX3’s category scores were about 71–73% for Safe Driving, 83% for Crash Avoidance, 86% for Crash Protection and 95% for Post‑Crash safety.
  • Inspectors singled out strong autonomous emergency braking across vehicle, junction, motorcycle, pedestrian and cyclist scenarios, plus effective battery voltage isolation and a working eCall system that raised the Post‑Crash score.
  • The Zeekr 7GT also achieved five stars but lost points in the Safe Driving pillar because its key controls are touchscreen‑only, illustrating the new protocol’s emphasis on physical backups and driver monitoring.
  • Euro NCAP and ANCAP created the four‑stage framework to reflect growing ADAS and EV use, and the bodies say the tougher checks — including fuel‑leak and battery integrity tests and minimum eCall support — will shape future vehicle design and further ratings published in coming months.